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international

for Sustainable Development, coordination cooperation, contributing to the achievement of significant results and
of relevant activities to enhance capacity in adopting several strategic documents, such as the Roadmap for the
the SPECA participating states, assistance in Digitalization of Multimodal Data and Document Exchange along the
the implementation of international legal acts Trans-Caspian Corridor Using UN Legal Instruments and Standards,
and the exchange of modern experience are adopted by the Presidents of the SPECA participating States at their
considered the key factors in SPECA’s activities. Summit in Baku, on 24 November 2023, the SPECA Trade Facilitation
Strategy, or the SPECA Strategy on Innovation for Sustainable
To achieve the above goals, an implementation Development.
structure has been put in place, while the main
decisionmaking body of SPECA is its Governing As the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon,
Council, which consists of national coordinators noted at this Summit, “our country, as the Chair of the SPECA Working
of the participating States at the ministerial Group on Trade, contributes to the development of sustainable trade
or deputy ministerial level, and high-level exchange between the countries of the region.”
representatives from UNECE and UNESCAP.
Trade facilitation is a priority for the SPECA WG on Trade, together
Within the framework of the Programme, with strengthening relations between the participating States in the
working groups operate on issues related to WTO process, in particular for the implementation of the WTO
trade, water, energy and environment, transport, Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), the implementation of the
transit and sustainable connectivity, innovation SPECA Trade Facilitation Strategy and Principles of Sustainable
and technology for sustainable development, Trade, joint activities on eliminating technical barriers to trade, and
statistics and gender, from the perspective of the the use of UN/CEFACT standards for the digitization of multimodal
need to achieve the SDGs. data and document exchange.

The SPECA Economic Forum is another This Working Group developed the SPECA Trade Facilitation Strategy
structural platform of the Programme, which and Roadmap, later adopted by the SPECA Governing Council. Their
is held annually. Within its framework, topical implementation is constantly monitored and updated, as opportunities
issues of cooperation and other maters relevant arise from the cooperation on international trade between the countries.
to the countries of the region are presented to This document served the basis for providing significant assistance to
the Governing Council for adopt decisions. strengthening cooperation between the SPECA countries, in particular
to accelerate the process of accession of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and
In order to ensure the proper functioning of Uzbekistan to WTO.
the Programme, in particular to strengthen
cooperation and project development and Through the WG on Trade the SPECA stakeholders support the regular
management the working groups, the SPECA UN surveys on digital and sustainable trade facilitation, assessments
Trust Fund was officially established in September of the readiness of SPECA States to implement the WTO TFA,
2024. The first meeting of its Steering Committee assessments of the readiness of the participating States to implement
took place in Dushanbe on 28 November 2024, the UN Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border
with the participation of interested parties. Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific, the finalization of the trade
Governments, inter-governmental or non- facilitation roadmap of Uzbekistan, the finalization and publication of
governmental organizations, international the study on regulatory and procedural barriers to trade in Uzbekistan,
financial institutions, the private sector, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
philanthropic organizations and individuals are
expected to make contributions to the Fund. Despite the mentioned achievements, there are several issues that
require enhanced coordination among the countries and the assistance
Tajikistan, along with other participating States, of UN agencies, such as UNECE and ESCAP. A major constraining
has made a significant contribution to the factor is the predominantly agricultural nature of most economies
implementation of the Programme, including in the region, with high proportion of perishable products in their
as chair for almost twenty years of the SPECA exports, which has resulted in challenges to food supply chains in the
Working Group on Trade, which is one of region.
the active working groups of the Programme.
Notably, through this Working Group the SPECA To ensure timely access to food supply chains, their safety and
participating States strengthened regional trade competitiveness, as well as access of the region’s goods and products to

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